[Study on DNA polymerase beta gene mutation in human cervical cancer]

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether DNA polymerase beta (POLB) gene mutations occur in human cervical cancer (CC).

Methods: To collect fresh specimens from 34 cervical cancer and examine the mutation of POLB gene using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and sequence analysis. According to their histological grading, the 34 cases of CC were divided into three groups: 9 cases of grade I (G(1)), 14 cases of grade II (G(2)), 11 cases of grade III (G(3)).

Results: POLB mutations were detected in the tissues of CC. The mutation of POLB is related with the histological differentiated of the CC. The mutated rates in low differentiated cancer were significantly higher than those in moderate and high ones, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). The sequencing of the PCR product showed an A to G chang at nucleotide 660, which resulted in a substitution of the amino acid from arginine to glycin at codon 182.

Conclusions: There were POLB mutations in the tissues of CC, and this may be related with the development of the CC. The mutations impaired the catalytic activity of POLB. As a result, this may lead to observed accumulation of mutations in tumor cells.